Pokemon Dawn
by J. S. Church
Summary: The Norvus League. It will make or break your reputation overnight. Byron Cial enters to prove his strength and claim the title, but things go awry when he crosses paths with the dubious Team Dawn. Drawn into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, he must unravel friend from foe as he fights to save the region from catastrophe. But does he have what it takes to emerge victorious?
1. Prologue

**Pokemon Dawn**

 **Prologue**

* * *

Authors Note: 'Pokemon Dawn' is set in a new region that has its own original pokemon (fakemon). To help you get to know the new pokemon, the following things are included in each chapter:

\- A pronunciation guide at the start to tell you how to pronounce all of the upcoming pokemons names  
\- The first time a new pokemon is mentioned or appears, their name will be underlined (if they are mentioned in one chapter and then appear in the next, their name will be underlined twice)  
\- Their Norvus Dex number will also be displayed next to their name in brackets the first time they appear (if they are only mentioned, they won't receive one)  
\- A pokedex entry will be included at the end of the chapter for all newly encountered pokemon (if they are only mentioned, they won't receive one)  
\- An appendix containing the Norvus pokedex will be attached to the end of this story as a separate chapter for further reference.

Please note that if a pokemon doesn't receive a pokedex entry at the end of the chapter, that only means they belong to the National Dex.

* * *

Qoros (?)= _Core-os  
_ Chicicle (010)= _Chick-ickle_ (-icle derived from icicle)  
Gullberg (011)= _Gull-burg_ (-berg derived from iceberg)

* * *

Chin rested on folded arms, Byron watched as a small bug crawled across his desk. It was a ladybird, and it had five glistening spots on its back. Byron knew because he had counted them three times.

The ladybird walked in aimless circles in front of him until it reached the large crack that ran down the center of Byron's desk. It was too wide to crawl over, so with a vigor reserved for athletes, the small bug poised its self to jump. Byron held his breath and counted his heartbeats, mind overflowing with focused enthusiasm.

 _1, 2, 3…_ He counted.

"Byron, are you listening to me?"

The little boy's head snapped up.

"Yes, miss!" He rehearsed.

"Then could you tell me what the answer is?"

The sun worked its way out from behind a cloud, throwing sunlight into the eyes of the young children. Byron could see dancing dust motes and a smear on the window, but he did not know the answer.

"Uh, three?" He guessed. He knew it was the wrong the instant his classmates began to laugh.

"That's the third time today you've not been paying attention, Byron. I'm sorry to have to do this, but I'm sending you to see the headmaster."

His stomach dropped like a judge's hammer. All at once he felt sick and dizzy as the familiar course of dread worked its way through his body.

The teaching aid came to escort him from the classroom. Byron's legs felt like spaghetti as he rose from his desk and wordlessly followed the man from the room.

"This is your third strike, Byron." He could hear the teaching aid muttering as they reached the office. "I'm afraid the headmaster will be sending a letter home to your parents." The man left him on a bench outside the headmaster's office to await punishment. Byron had to hold back tears. His parents would be mad. They would be very mad.

The headmaster left Byron waiting for a very long time.

After five minutes, sitting still had become painful. After ten, it was unbearable. His mind rolled in circles, imagining the punishments his parents would give him. Each one was worst than the last.

Just before he exploded through anxiety, a familiar figure strolled around the corner. It was jet black, no bigger than a house cat, and it had golden eyes brimming with energy.

 _Qoros_! He thought. _Qoros has saved me!_

The little cat shaped pokemon padded around the corner and jumped up onto the bench. It crawled into his lap and rubbed its face against Byron's chest. The boy buried his hands in its fur and felt all of his worry melt away. Qoros was his only friend. He would never let him down.

"They're sure to suspend me this time," Byron told Qoros. The little cat stared deeply into his eyes, sharing his worry. "What do we do?"

Qoros turned around and glanced at the door leading to the playground, and then back to Byron. The little boy understood.

"You want to run?" He asked. The cat nodded.

Byron looked at the door. The sun was playing peek-a-boo through the patchwork clouds, blasting rays of light through the glass and then shutting them off. Freedom called and Byron couldn't resist.

He got up and ran.

They raced across the school yard, darting behind bushes and ducking under slides to avoided being seen by teachers. Like ninjas, they crept across the car park until they could see the school gates. A woman viewing her Holo Caster guarded it while nursing a cup of tea.

They crept towards her slowly. Luckily she was too engrossed in the Holo cast to notice the boy and pokemon crawling towards her. They managed to slip through the gate but neither said a word until they were down the road to safety.

"We did it!" Byron gasped at Qoros, looking back. The little cat looked proud of their accomplishments.

Byron and Qoros spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the snowfields on the edge of town. They started by building snowmen, Byron rolling large balls of snow and Qoros stacking them using psychic. Once they had made an army, they darted through a large flock of Chicicles and Gulbergs, blue ice type bird pokemon, who screeched as they flew off. Occasionally, Qoros would zap one with thunderbolt if it pecked him which made Byron giggle in delight.

They played happily all through the afternoon until the dawn of evening when they saw a strange man watching them from a distance.

"I don't like the look of that man," Byron whispered. Qoros mewed in agreement so they both fled from the playing field and started heading home.

Despite the dark and the chill, Byron felt warm as they walked through the streets with nothing but each other and the sound of crunching snow for company.

As they traveled through the snow covered streets, Byron noticed Qoros would stop and look behind them. Byron would look too, squinting his eyes to peer through the gloom, but he would see nothing but snow coated shrubbery or the occasional Zigzagoon nibbling on winter berries.

"What is it, Qoros?" He asked as the small cat stopped for the fifth time and squeaked at a dark alley. Qoros' coat was standing on end and it hissed at a darkened figure. Byron froze in fear, scared it was the strange man they had seen earlier, but felt a strange sort of relief when they emerged from the alley.

"Look who it is!" They stepped forwards and shoved Byron backwards into the snow. It wasn't the strange man, it was his neighbor Jeon, a mean little boy with red cheeks, a plump face, and a mop of unkempt brown hair floating on top of his head. "We've been looking all over for you, brat!"

Qoros backed up against Byron's leg as another boy and a girl, both taller than Byron was, emerged from the darkness behind them. Qoros growled at them too but Byron shushed him, not wanting any trouble.

"We've been out in the cold all afternoon, trying to find you." The other boy said. Byron didn't know what to say.

"Say something, squirt!" Jeon shouted. He kicked snow into Byron's face.

"I'm sorry!" Byron muttered. His eyes started to become wet, blurring the streetlight above him.

The girl started laughing at him. "I think you need to teach him a lesson, Jeon."

He grinned and started fumbling at his belt.

"I'll teach you, runt!" He said, fumbling at his belt. His hand came back up holding a pokeball which he tossed it into the air, sending out a Snubbull as mean and fat as he was. A tear fell onto Byron's cheek as the pokemon stared at him and ground its feet into the snow.

"Please," Byron wailed. "What did I do?"

"The Norvus League finals — the biggest pokemon event of the year — and we missed it because our parents forced us to look for you!" Jeon took a trainers stance behind his Snubbull. "You're gonna battle me, neighbor, and if I win you're going to give me your pokemon!"

Byron started to cry, which spurred Qoros into action. It lowered its head and let out a crackling growl from deep inside its chest, it's every muscle taut and ready to spring into action. A flicker of fear washed over Jeon's face.

But instead of strike, Qoros turned and leaped into Byron's chest.

Everything went black as a cold pulse of energy flowed up his spine. He felt like a vessel, amplifying a strange psychic wave that ripped through his body and exploded from his brain. Stars danced through his mind alongside a strange crackle of electricity. He heard muffled screams and the Snubbull's cry, followed by the sound of multiple bodies colliding with the floor.

The energy leaked out of him as quick as it had come, leaving him feeling drained and weak. He blinked furiously, trying to clear the stars from his vision, but when it returned he was met with catastrophe.

Bodies surrounded him, all unconscious. Jeon, his two companions, and the Snubbull had collapsed where they had stood. Some of their eyes were open, some closed.

They had fainted!

Byron looked down at his friend, only to realise that Qoros was as weak and tired as he was.

"Qoros… Did you… Did you do this?" He whispered. Qoros shivered hard and closed its eyes.

Lights were starting to turn on in the houses overlooking the street. Byron didn't know what to do. He looked up the road, hoping to find somebody to help, but when he did, his heart stopped.

The same strange man stood under a street light, clad in a black trench coat and wearing glasses. A scarf covered the bottom half of his face, obscuring his identity.

"Who are you?" Byron asked desperately. He didn't reply.

As the first person exited their house, Byron stuffed Qoros down his jacket and ran.

He sprinted down the road, through a garden, and down a footpath, yet the man still followed. Byron jumped over a fallen bin, ducked under a sign and turned into an alley. He turned around to check if he had lost the pursuer, but as he did he caught his foot on a raised pavement and fell into the arms of a woman waiting in the darkness.

Byron was lifted high into the air, kicking and screaming. He held Qoros tighter as he begged to be released. Instead, the woman pulled him deeper into the shadows and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"You better come with me, boy." She said, her voice full of caution and concern. "Or there's no telling what that man will do."

Byron had no choice but to allow himself to be whisked away.

* * *

 **New Pokedex Entries**

 **010 - Chicicle**. (Chick-ickle) This Pokemon's soft fuzzy plumage protects it from the cold. It relies on its mother for food.  
Chicicles are small, blue-coloured chicks with a short black beak and pink legs.  
Their name is derived from chick and icicle.  
Type: Ice/ Flying  
Ability: Adaptability or Ice Body  
Pokedex Colour: Blue  
Egg Group: Flying  
120g, 29cm, 30cm wingspan.

 **011 - Gullberg**. (Gull-burg) The evolved form of Chicicle. Gullbergs can eat anything and will eat ice when they can't find water to drink.  
Gullbergs are seagull shaped with blue feathers and dark blue wings. They have a yellow beak, pink legs, and black eyes.  
Their name is derived from gull and iceberg.  
Type: Ice/ Flying  
Ability: Adaptability or Ice Body  
Pokedex Colour: Blue  
Egg Group: Flying  
1.79Kg, 76cm, 60cm wingspan

 **012 - Zigzagoon**. It walks in zigzag fashion. It's good at finding items in the grass and even in the ground.  
Type: Normal  
Ability: Pickup or Gluttony  
Pokedex Colour: Brown  
Egg Group: Field  
17.6Kg, 40cm.

 **? - Qoros**. (Core-os)  
Qoros is the shape of a domestic cat with black fur and golden eyes. It has a very long tail and large ears.  
Type: Psychic/ Electric  
Ability: Unknown  
Pokedex Colour: Black  
Egg Group: Undiscovered  
3.8Kg, 30cm.

* * *

Thank you for reading the Prologue for 'Pokemon Dawn.' It's very long only to introduce you all to the story. I promise to try and make the following chapters a little shorter. As of yet, I don't have any plans to implement a regular uploading schedule so you'll just have to keep your eyes peeled for new chapters!

Any reviews will be warmly received, and any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. After all, we can't grow as writers unless we know what we have to correct!


	2. Chapter 1 - Dragon Dance

**Chapter 1 - Dragon Dance**

* * *

Drolet - _Drow-let_  
Drolo - _Drow-low_  
Droeska - _Drow-_ eska

* * *

"Steady," Byron cautioned as the Drolet (#149) lunged towards its opponent. The opposing Eelektross floated stoically, watching Byron for a command.

The Drolet's real trainer stood behind Byron, squeezing his hands together. He was a rich man who had paid a lot of money for the pokemon, and like a lot of the rich men Byron dealt with, he had no idea how to use it.

Blocking him out, Byron took a moment to watch the pokemon move. Drolet was a dragon and steel type, the second in its evolutionary line ahead of Drolo (#148) and behind Droeska (#150). From snout to tail, Drolet was only five feet long, with a small two feet wingspan, but once it evolved into its final form, Byron knew it would be huge.

Its body was reptilian, with its back and the top of its tail and neck lined with glistening metal scales. Two sets of steel wings erupted from the center of its body, attached by circular hinges. The wings themselves weren't large enough to enable it to fly yet, so it walked on its legs and arms, talons clicking against the ground with every step.

"Good conformation," Byron noted. "The nurse said it's nothing health related?" He asked over his shoulder.

"Yes." The trainer replied brusquely. "She too was at a loss on what is causing its unsightly behaviour." As he finished the Drolet snapped at him, bearing its teeth. The rich man cowered behind Byron.

Drolet weren't normally feisty creatures. Since they were unable to fly, they lived in flocks in the wild, so teamwork came naturally to them.

So why wouldn't it listen to its trainer?

Byron nodded at the Eelektross, telling him that they were about to begin.

"Okay Drolet, I want you to run in, use Slash then back up, do you understand?" She growled and charged, talons scratching the earth as she thrust herself forwards. Whip marks were left in the dirt as she slapped the ground with her tail to build momentum.

She advanced onto Eelektross quickly enough. Byron watched intently as she leaped into the air to form her attack. As she descended she swiped her claws across Eelektross' body, making him wince.

 _Not bad so far_ , Byron thought, but then instead of pulling away, she went in for another attack.

"No, Drolet, I said 'pull back!'" Byron yelled. The dragon didn't listen, instead choosing to lock into a flurry of slash attacks. Eelektross looked to Byron for help.

With no other choice, Byron nodded at the eel. Without hesitation, he whipped around quickly and smacked Drolet with its tail.

It was an illegal move by all accounts, but if Eelektross hit the Drolet with a proper attack, Byron feared she would faint before he could assess her properly.

After contact was made, she flew through the air like a baseball and clattered to the ground next to Byron, eyes spinning with confusion. She flopped around, stepping on her metal wings in a desperate attempt to recover her footing.

"You need to listen to me, Drolet." Byron barked as he helped her orient herself. "Eelektross is slow, but if you get too close, he will knock you for six." She shook herself off and jumped back into the field. Byron was impressed with her enthusiasm.

"Okay, this time I want you to leap over him and use- Oh, not _again!"_

The dragon ran at Eelektross at full speed, charging a lot faster than was necessary. None of Byron's words would slow her down, so instead of stopping her, he waited until the last minuet and then ordered Eelektross to move sideways.

Drolet had almost landed on her opponents back when the eel moved aside, causing the dragon to crash into the ground. Before she could recover, Byron gave the Eelektross the signal to attack. He grasped Drolet's belly in a crushing Thunder Fang and then tossed her back to Byron. She landed with a heavy thud.

That attack had hurt; Byron could see it in the way she held herself once she stood up. Drolet looked bewildered, eyes wide in fear. For a split second, she looked at Byron for help, but he looked away.

 _If you want my help_ , He thought, _you will need to work for it_.

Byron knew that it would not be long until she passed out. Drolet were built for speed and brute force, not bulk, and Eelektross could hit pretty hard.

Yet, even so, she was still ready to fight. She danced on her toes in front of him, each one making contact for less than a second before springing into the air again. Her scales clinked together as her body rolled and her wings flapped. She was still full of energy, vitality, and spirit to go on, despite the battering she had just received. Despite her unwillingness to listen, Byron could see her potential.

 _I think I'm starting to like her_. He realised.

Shaking the thought away, Byron continued with his assessment.

"This time you will listen to me so that won't happen." The Drolet pretended not to hear him so he decided to change tactics. He signaled for Eelektross to attack.

"This time, I want you to hold until I tell you to attack."

Eelektross barreled towards the awaiting dragon, fangs bared. Drolet's ears swiveled backwards and she took a step back.

Byron could see that she wanted to charge, but something inside her was causing her to hesitate. Behind him, her trainer gasped in excitement.

"I've never seen her obey anyone," He whispered. "Well done."

Unfortunately, Byron knew that it wasn't obedience that kept her in place, but fear. It was clear that the pokemon had never faced anything she couldn't knock out in under two seconds, and it had made her arrogant. Byron found that in most disobedience cases amongst his clients, arrogance was the chief cause, not disrespect.

In Byron's opinion, a little bit of arrogance was fine. In battles, a pokemon needed to believe in its self, but it also needed to believe in its trainer. If anyone were going to get anywhere with the Drolet, they would have to teach her that if she didn't obey, she would get hurt.

"Hold." Byron issued again. One of her steel ears flicked back at him in recognition of the command, but Byron soon saw signs of the inevitable. She started to shake and prance, pitting the command that held her in the Eelektross' line of attack against her fear of getting hurt.

Byron let the conflict run its course. He and Eelektross knew that if she moved, Eelektross would strike, but if she didn't, he would not. It was a tough test to pass, to stand in the face of danger and not flinch, but Byron wanted to see what he was working with.

To her credit, the little Drolet stood her ground until Eelektross was almost upon before she broke off.

She jumped up and readied her claws, but it exposed her belly again. Eelektross took advantage by using Crunch to grasp it. The eel flew her up towards the ceiling, turned in mid-air, and threw her towards the ground. She roared as he slammed her onto the floor, sending up a huge plume of dust.

When it settled she lay on the floor, eyes closed.

Byron returned her to his pokeball and took a deep breath.

"So?" Her trained asked, standing on the balls of his feet. He was an older man with only a small amount of battling experience. It left Byron wondering why he'd been aloud to buy the Drolet in the first place.

"I see what you mean when you say 'uncontrollable.'" Byron told him.

The man looked relieved to the point of fainting.

"Exactly. I'm glad you agree." He let out. "The darn thing never does anything I say, and all of my friends refuse to battle us. I need something calmer. She even eats the furniture!"

Byron withdrew his Eelektross and then wrote the trainer a letter of credit. He could either get his money back or use it to buy another, calmer pokemon. The trainer beamed in relief, holding the letter tightly as if it would disappear if he didn't.

After the agreement was made, Byron stepped out of the man's mansion and breathed, glad to be free of his company. As he walked back towards his car, the briefcase containing Drolet's pokeball felt heavy at the end of his arm.

He slumped into the driver's seat, pulled up his Holo Caster, and found himself dialing a familiar name. An oval shaped face with caramel hair appeared in front of him.

 _Maria_.

"So he's sent her back then."

"Yeah," Byron admitted. Maria sighed heavily and rubbed her face. "That's the third time someone has sent her back." He said. "I assumed she was just placed with the wrong people, but even I couldn't get her to listen."

Maria and Byron were quiet for a long time.

"You know what will happen next, don't you?" She said softly, but soft words never cushion hard truths.

Byron put down the Holo Caster and gripped the wheel.

It was time to go home.

* * *

 **New Pokedex Entries**

 **149 - Drolet**. (Dro-let) Evolved form of Drolo. Since it cannot fly, Drolets live in large flocks to protect each other from predators. They roll in the sand to clean their metal scales.  
They have a long, lizard-like body with silver scales covering their back, the top of their neck and the top of their tail. They have a streamlined face and have two sets of steel wings joined to their body with circular hinges.  
Type: Dragon/ Steel  
Ability: Battle Armour or Defiant.  
Pokedex Colour: Grey  
Egg Group: Dragon  
1m high, 25kg, 1,5m long, 60cm wingspan

* * *

So here we see Byron as a young man instead of a boy. And no, Qoros hasn't disappeared. We'll be seeing it in the next chapter.

We're also introduced to a brand new pokemon, Drolet! Its evolutionary line is supposed to be the Norvus regions equivalent to the Garchomp/ Haxarous lines, but we'll see!


	3. Chapter 2 - A Favour

**Chapter 2**

 **A Favour**

* * *

Sweat trickled down Byron's neck and ran down between his shoulder blades. As he forced the shovel back down into the densely packed ground the blade hit a rock with a crunch. Heat beat down onto his bare back as he tossed it over the hedge and started breaking up a new patch of hard earth.

He'd arrived back in Kanto earlier that day, the rising sun blinding him as he drove towards the towering gates of wrought iron standing sentry below the sign that read 'Madam Beltrami's Elite Breeding Centre.'

 _Home_. He thought.

As he waited for them to open, Byron saw running red paint on the wall of the gate operator's building. He opened the dirt stained window to get a better look, but he already knew what the word read.

"Cheaters!"

A man brought out a bucket of water and a hard bristled brush and started to scrub it away. Byron drove on.

He then learned that his rush to return had all been for naught. Madam Beltrami was 'indisposed of,' and could see no visitors that morning. Instead, Byron had been sent to the Berry Fields to wait.

He stopped to breathe deeply and scrape the tresses of disheveled black hair from his face. The sun had since moved directly overhead, heating up his head to an uncomfortable degree. The berry fields were too remote for large plows, so it all had to be done by hand. After a morning of digging, his arms quivered and his aching back begged for a respite.

Yet he plowed on, continuing breaking up mud and earth, stopping only to crush stubborn deposits with his foot or to toss a stone over the hedge. While he worked, he cursed rich soil for being in such a difficult place. If it weren't, he wouldn't need to break his back to break the earth.

"Damn soil." He cursed.

He carried on laboring until a horn sounded, calling all of the workers to lunch. Byron had slipped into such a deep reverie he almost lost his balance and fell at the sound of the sudden noise. Straightening up and massaging his back, Byron watched the other workers toss their shovels in the shed with elastic arms before trudging towards the smell of food.

For a moment, Byron considered staying. He liked the quiet and the isolation. He liked the sun and the feel of honest work, but he was so thirsty. He followed the others at a distance, a lone shadow trudging down the path.

Being in the food tent was a deeply unpleasant experience. The plastic roof trapped heat like an oven, serving to roast the food as well as the workers. He rushed out after being served his complimentary meal; a thick carrot soup, a side of bread and a large mug of water.

Ignoring the benches outside the tent, he went and sat under the shade of an apple tree, splaying his legs in front of him. He drank the water first, shaking with bliss as it touched his parched tongue. Wayward trickles worked their way down his chin and through his stubble, landing on his chest and then sizzling away in the midday heat.

As he finished the last of his soup, a familiar wide-eyed face appeared from beneath a bush. Byron laughed at the creature as it stared.

"Come on then." He said. Qoros mewed and ran towards the bowl Byron placed on the ground. The creature snorted as it inhaled the remains.

For Byron, Qoros was as old as time itself. The creature had found him when he was three days old, crying in a basket on his parents' porch as they argued inside. It had been attracted to his distress and had never left his side since. An old uncle of had once told him that he would never cry as long as Qoros was near.

Byron gazed down the path and saw Maria strolling towards him, eyes glued to her feet. When he greeted her, she jumped three foot in the air.

"Byron, you're back already?" She asked. "That was quick." Qoros used the distraction to jump up and snatch the bread from Byron's hand.

"Hey!" He called as the cat darted off victorious, nearly tripping Maria over. She jumped away and tried not to shriek. Almost everybody at the Breeding Center was frightened of Qoros, the genderless pokemon whose origins were unknown. It's tendency to shock (either electrically or psychically) people who threatened or annoyed it didn't help, either.

"I see that thing is still running circles around you." Maria had asked many times why Byron didn't keep it in a pokeball. He always lied and said that the pokemon preferred being free, retaining the fact that Byron had never even caught Qoros.

"When did you get back?" She asked.

"This morning." He answered.

"Huh." She mumbled, looking towards the food tent. She hadn't been digging, but free food was free food. "Was Hoenn nice?"

"As nice as it was the last time." He answered.

"Oh." Was her reply.

Byron felt sorry for Maria. He wasn't the easiest person to talk with, so most people just talked at him, but not her. She would always try conversation no matter how short and blunt his replies.

"Go and eat, Maria." He said, trying to save her the pain of talking to him. "I can tell you're hungry." She nodded and started towards the gazebo but a sudden thought stopped her in her tracks.

"Oh, I forgot to say! Madam Beltrami said she's ready to see you."

Byron watched Maria skip towards her food, somewhat glad that he had an excuse to flee the work in the fields. He started towards his hut to shower.

Free of dirt and in clean clothes, Byron made his way to the Breeding Centers main pavilion. Qoros found him along the way and trailed behind, pouncing to attack his feet every few steps. As he entered the reception, it managed to snag a lace, pulling them undone, arousing quiet laughter from the other visitors.

"Oh, hi Byron." Lilly, the receptionist, said as he approached. "How was Sinnoh?" She sounded like a recording for a SatNav. Byron shook his head.

"It was Kanto. Sinnoh was last month."

Oh." She didn't sound enthused. "My mistake. You leave and return so quietly, I guess I just didn't notice." She looking at her screen and started tapping her keyboard. Byron had to clear his throat to regain her interest.

"Is Madam Beltrami free?" He asked.

Lilly sighed and looked at the clock behind her.

"Her 1:30 should be finished now. I'll call you in when she's ready."

Byron sat down opposite the desk. Qoros jumped on his lap and stood vigilant, spitting at the other workers and visitors in the waiting room. Byron used to tap it every time but had since given up, lest he would spend half of his life hitting the creature.

"She's ready, Byron," Lilly called flatly. "And please leave that creature outside next time." Byron ignored her and Qoros growled as they walked past. Lilly's face went ghost white.

As Byron entered through Madam Beltrami's heavy oaken door, he was hit by a wall of floral scent. From floor to ceiling the office was covered with flowers tended to by small Ledebras, Combees and other small bug pokemon. In the center of the office in front of a small balcony was a large desk, and sat behind it was Moira Beltrami herself.

She was a soft and dainty old woman, grey-haired and wrinkly, but she also had a certain timelessness about her. Her brown eyes first appeared soft but Byron knew they were doubled edged. It didn't take much to madden the old woman, as Byron knew first hand.

"Come and sit down." Moira Beltrami offered. Qoros was the first to move, leaping up onto her desk. Apart from Byron, Madam Beltrami was the only person that Qoros liked. It started to purr as she scratched it under the chin. As Byron sat down, Qoros flopped onto its side in pure ecstasy as she stroked its ebony coat.

"How was Hoenn, Byron?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "Or was it Sinnoh?" She pulled up his report on the laptop sat to the side of her desk.

"It was Hoenn, but Sinnoh was good too. I found a buyer within two days of showing."

Madam Beltrami nodded slowly as Qoros started licking her hand. "That's very good. You're a fast salesman, I'll give you that." She glanced at him and seemed to consider something deeply before returning her attention to the laptop. "I see you had troubles in Hoenn. Is this what you wanted to talk about?"

He nodded. "Yes, it was. I wanted to talk about the Drolet, Madam Beltrami-"

"Please, call me Moira." She insisted. "We've known each other long enough."

"Moira…" Calling her Moira was like eating glue; it just wouldn't come out. "I just wanted to know what will happen now. For the Drolet, I mean."

Madam Beltrami leaned back in her chair and watched a Ledebra buzz around the side of her desk.

"You know the auction comes next, Byron." His heart sank.

"But you read the report, in it I say-"

"I know what it said. The animal has potential and you believe it can re-trained under the right conditions." She sighed. "What would you have me do, Byron? We're a breeding center, not a rehabilitation unit. We don't have the staff, nor our staff the time, to be retraining on the side. We're already running at full capacity as it is. It simply can't be done." Byron stood up to object.

"Then I'll do it." He offered. "I'll pay the full amount."

"You can't afford our prices." She said bluntly.

"Then I'll figure something out."

Beltrami studied him as she worked her jaw from side to side. Byron knew she had broken it decades prior and sometimes suffered from stiffness.

"That's all well and good, but what happens the next time you grow attached to a pokemon? Will you buy that one, too?"

Byron fell silent and looked at the ground. Moved by his discomfort, Qoros jumped from the desk and sat at his feet. Beltrami watched it closely and then had a change of heart.

"Okay, Byron. I'll let you have it." His head flew up in surprise.

"Really? How much?" He asked, preparing himself. Madam Beltrami's Breeding Centre was one of the best in the world, and their prices were extortionate.

"I will let you have her for free, but only if you agree to do something for me."

Byron stopped short. He'd paid her in favours before, and it hadn't worked out well for him. He almost refused, but then thought about the Drolet. The Auctions were never a good place. Anyone could bid, and while there was a chance she could end up at a retraining organisation, she also stood an equal chance of being sent to slaughter. Dragon meat was a delicacy in certain places of the world. So instead of refusing, he found himself saying:

"Anything."

Beltrami closed her eyes for a second and exhaled. Byron couldn't help but notice that she was expressing relief.

"That's good. That's very good." She rubbed her face and then opened her eyes. "I'll tell you what I want you to do nearer to the time. For now, acquaint this new pokemon to the rest of your team. You'll need to use her soon enough."

Byron had no clue what she meant, but he was still grateful. However, as he stepped from the office having achieved what he wanted, a nagging thought weighed down his mind.

 _What have I done?_


	4. Appendix 1 - Norvus Pokedex

**Appendix 1: Norvus Pokedex**

 **010** \- **Chicicle** [Chick-ickle] This Pokemon's soft fuzzy plumage protects it from the cold. It relies on its mother for food.  
Chicicles are small, blue-coloured chicks with a short black beak and pink legs.  
Their name is derived from chick and icicle.  
Type: Ice/ Flying  
Ability: Adaptability or Ice Body  
Colour: Blue  
Egg Group: Flying  
120g, 29cm.

 **011** \- **Gullberg**. The evolved form of Chicicle. Gullbergs can eat anything and will eat ice when they can't find water to drink.  
Gullbergs are seagull shaped with blue feathers and dark blue wings. They have a yellow beak, pink legs, and black eyes.  
Their name is derived from gull and iceberg.  
Type: Ice/ Flying  
Ability: Adaptability or Ice Body  
Pokedex Colour: Blue  
Egg Group: Flying  
1.79Kg, 76cm.

 **012** \- **Zigzagoon**. It walks in zigzag fashion. It's good at finding items in the grass and even in the ground.  
Type: Normal  
Ability: Pickup or Gluttony  
Pokedex Colour: Brown  
Egg Group: Field  
17.6Kg, 40cm.

 **149 - Drolet**. (Dro-let) Evolved form of Drolo. Since it cannot fly, Drolets live in large flocks to protect each other from predators. It rolls in the sand to clean its metal scales.  
Type: Dragon/ Steel  
Ability: Battle Armour or Defiant.  
Pokedex Colour: Grey  
Egg Group: Dragon  
1m high, 25kg, 1,5m long, 60cm wingspan

 **?** \- **Qoros**.  
Qoros is the shape of a domestic cat with black fur and golden eyes. It has a very long tail and large ears.  
Type: Psychic/ Electric  
Ability: Unknown  
Pokedex Colour: Black  
Egg Group: Undiscovered  
3.8Kg, 30cm.


End file.
